Biz Briefs: CCC instructor attends national institute

Corning Community College welding instructor Cheryl Barton, of Horseheads, is one of 22 welding instructors in the United States selected to attend the American Welding Society’s Instructor’s Institute.

The institute will be held in Miami in July, and will give welding instructors an opportunity to strengthen their teaching skills and experience novel teaching techniques. In addition, the institute provides a forum for welding instructors to learn from each other and discuss ideas to move the industry forward.

Barton has taught welding at CCC for two years. She also has experience working in manufacturing and has taught welding at the adult education program at Greater Southern Tier BOCES.

The next welding program is scheduled for July 31 to Dec. 1. For more information, go to corning-cc.edu/welding.

Corning Hospital recognized for stroke care

Guthrie Corning Hospital has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll.

This is the seventh year the hospital has been recognized with a stroke quality award.

To receive the Gold Quality Achievement award, hospitals must achieve 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month periods.

To qualify for the Target: Stroke Honor Roll, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with a specific stroke treatment drug.

For many of the quality measures, Guthrie Corning Hospital measured well over the target rate, according to a Guthrie news release.

Bath VA Center receives award

The Bath VA Medical Center has received the Greenhealth Emerald Award from Practice Greenhealth, to recognize it for being a leader in health care sustainability and environmental stewardship.

This award is presented to applicants that have more advanced programs and exemplary scores in a range of categories such as reducing and recycling waste, energy management, water use reduction, sustainable sourcing, hazardous chemical use reduction and green buildings.

Winning hospitals have demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability and shown leadership in the local community and health care sector.

In 2016, the Bath VA Medical Center recycled more than 171 tons of materials, or 44 percent of the total solid waste generated. The average recycling rate at nationally surveyed hospitals is 32 percent.

Steuben County firm gets broadband grant

Empire Access, a telecommunications business based in Prattsburgh, received a $32 million grant award from the New York State Broadband Program.

The program was developed to help fund the expansion of high speed internet service in New York state, with a goal of connecting all New Yorkers to high speed broadband by the end of 2018.

The grant money will enable Empire Access to expand broadband service to more than 1,600 homes and businesses in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions of New York, including Burdett, Lodi, Odessa, Prattsburgh and Pulteney.

These specific areas were identified by the New York State Broadband Program Office as underserved or unserved.